How to Throw The Perfect Holiday Party for Your Pet

We all love showering our pets with gifts and love on their birthdays. But birthdays only occur once a year. If you love putting party hats on your animals as much as we do, you might want to consider throwing a holiday party for your pet and his/her friends, human or otherwise.

Here are 7 ways to ensure that your holiday pet party will leave your guests barking, mewing, and squawking for more!

1. Dress to Impress

Make sure all your guests are displaying the holiday spirit. Santa hats, jingle bell collars, and ugly sweaters are all adorable when placed on an animal.

2. Proper Tune-age is Essential

3. Treats, Treats, and More Treats!

Julia Child once said that "a party without cake is just a meeting." Why should your pet party be any different? Pinterest is filled with recipes for dog friendly cakes. (They can eat gingerbread, too!) If you want to get fancy, order cupcakes from a dog bakery, like The Dog Bakery in Los Angeles.

Cats can have their cake too, with tuna and cat-nip cakes covered in yogurt icing from PamperedPawGifts.com

4. Games

Your usual Christmas party standbys might be a little hard to recreate with your animal friends. (Although we do know a parrot that was GREAT at charades.) Why not try one of these pet-pleasing diversions?

- A talent show: Finally, a chance for pet parents to show off their babies' skills!- For your feline friends, download a game for them to play on your ipad. This is not a joke. www.gamesforcats.com- Paw (or Claw) Painting: Use food coloring and cornstarch to make a pet-safe paint. Dip their paws in it and have them walk around on a large sheet of paper. They make great collectibles to send home with your human guests!

Image source: Waterloo by C.M. Coolidge, 1906

5. Skip the Tinsel, and No Poinsettias Around Dogs

Sure they're a beautiful holiday decoration, but Poinsettia plants are poisonous to dogs, and tinsel can get caught in an animal's throat. Make sure these two things are out of mouth's reach.

6. Photos with Santa

Since everybody is already dressed up, bring the man of the hour to the party and have him pose with the animals. Just make sure Santa isn't played by your neighbor who calls screaming every time your dog barks.

7. Paw-ty Favors

Don't send your friends home empty-handed. Make little doggy bags and fill them with treats. Add a holiday plush toy and your guests will be remembering your party for the rest of the year. (Or for a day, until they rip it to shreds.)